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AustrAliAn educAtors Are working hArder And longer, And it’s tiMe we Addressed the probleM, for the sAke of our students As Much As ourselves, sAys roS McLennAn. Schooling in Scotland, for the Organisa- tion for Economic Cooperation and Devel- opment, found that Scotland performs at a ‘consistently very high standard’ in the Program for International Student Assess- ment, with very few countries outperform- ing it in mathematical, reading or scientifi c literacy, in part because of its commitment to education funding. Interest in the teach- ing profession and teacher morale overall accelerated over the last decade as a result of salary increases, improved working con- ditions and resourced professional develop- ment, including ‘world-class’ teacher induc- tion, in Scotland. Closer to home, alarming rates of new graduate teachers leaving the profession after only a few years, and an exodus of experienced classroom teachers, does not bode well for the future provision of qual- ity education for Australian students. complex and professionally demanding role than it was 20 years before and that ‘the best teacher in the world cannot perform properly in an inadequately resourced and inadequately staffed school.’ It hasn’t got any less complex or demanding in the dec- ade since 1998. Clearly, the provision of quality educa- tion is compromised when we fail to attract and retain quality teachers. The provision of professional pay rates, coupled with appropriate support and conditions in the early years of teaching, are needed to attract bright, committed students to a career in teaching. The success of the Scottish education system is a good example of what can be achieved with the winning combination of appropriate funding and political will. The 2007 report, Reviews of National Poli- cies for Education: Quality and Equity of new graduate teacher churn Quality education is secured when commit- ted young teachers are fi rst attracted, then retained. The current inadequate levels of support for overworked, overwhelmed new graduate teachers pose a real threat to our ability to regenerate our profession, if left unchecked. Research by Drs Richard Goddard and Patrick O’Brien indicates disturbing trends of intensifying workload and stress. Their study reported that 29 per cent of new grad- uate teacher survey respondents indicated a serious intention to leave their current job after only eight months teaching. A quar- ter of study participants owned that if they could have their time again, they wouldn’t have studied teaching. Unsurprisingly, Goddard and O’Brien’s evidence shows that where graduate teach- ers have had the best induction and support in the beginning years, they become effec- tive teachers. Employers and government may better support the profession by resourcing compre- hensive programs for graduate teachers that include: formal induction; reduced teaching load; time release for effective mentoring by experienced teachers; and opportuni- ties to observe exemplary teaching practice. Appropriate professional development sup- port should also be provided to address any emerging weaknesses early in their career. experienced teacher exodus Excessive workload and lack of considera- tion for appropriate work-life balance are also key reasons why experienced teachers are leaving the profession. Mark Keogh, a researcher from the Queensland University of Technology, is engaged in studying the current and emerg- ing retirement intentions of experienced teachers aged 50 years of more. In working with a sample group of sec- ondary school teachers aged between 45 and 65 years, Keogh found that many experi- enced teachers leave the profession to engage in other work, pursue new careers, return to their pre-teaching career, start their own business or undertake further study. Discussing this problem with Queensland Independent Education Union members in July 2008, Keogh noted a major factor that infl uences the decision by experienced teachers to leave the profession is a lack of workplace fl exibility, especially in relation to family responsibilities like caring for aging parents or grandchildren and sup- porting adult children. Consider the fact that most caring responsibilities still fall to women and the demographics of the profes- sion surveyed – 70 per cent female – and you see why adequate support for experienced educators in fi nding a satisfactory work-life balance is so important. According to Keogh’s research, where schools don’t provide family-friendly con- ditions, the loss of experienced teachers increases. Experienced teachers can be retained, however, in settings that use the following practices: ?? consultation and collegial respect ?? reasonable and appropriate workloads ? ? fl exible timetabling, and ?? the inclusion of all staff in school life. While Keogh’s study focuses on the experiences of mature-aged teachers, his leadership 57